Bike Ride Scavenger Hunt For All Ages!

Summertime is here and I am already feeling my children’s busyness kick in. It seems that our days start out with rainbows and unicorns but by the time dinner time and bedtime come along our magical fairy land has been corrupted by a tornado and a fire-breathing dragon (me).

As I was debating which closet to go hide in while I cry myself to sleep in the fetal position; I realized that my little “E” is getting bigger and that all he wants to do all day is ride his bike… all day long…

And his big sister is right there with him. She has been begging to go on a long bike ride for months now, but we just haven’t had the time.

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So today after school I decided to surprise the kids with a family night activity. I told the kids to strap on their helmets and to meet me in the drive-way.

Bike Ride Scavenger Hunt For ALL Ages

This is where I gave them clue #1. They (and when I say they, I really mean sissy because she is the only one that can read) had to read the clue and try to figure out where we were supposed to go.

Clue #1 went something like this… “Up in the sky or down on the ground, daddy goes here everyday to make sure things are sound.”

The great part about an activity like this is that you can customize it to fit your family and you can change it up each time you do it, to keep the thrill and excitement going. Luckily the hubs works super close to home so we were able to incorporate it into our hunt.

Once we found Clue #2 and the kids had figured out the excitement of the venture, I could barely keep up!

Well we went on to steps 3,4,5 & 6 where we found ourselves at the end of a bike trail where we enjoyed a fun family picnic.

Now this activity did take a little preparation but it really wasn’t too bad. I was running errands all over town and my neighborhood anyways so I simply made some clues to nearby locations and as I was driving around town doing my mom-chauffeur thing; I quickly hid them at these places. It was a little windy so I had to make sure I left them in solid locations but out of sight enough so strangers wouldn’t think they were litter.

And because I had been running all day and hadn’t been home much, I definitely needed a quick dinner solution. Mama can only be a so-so super woman; a planned out activity AND expect me to cook dinner? Too much to ask of this mommy most days.

So remembering that I had a coupon, Subway it was! I grabbed it on my way to get “A” from dance, and I put the food in my backpack along with a picnic blanket, so that the kids didn’t see it and ruin the surprise.

I brought it with us on our bike ride scavenger hunt and the kids had no idea. The look on their faces when I pulled it out was priceless.

By the way, have you tried their new sandwich yet? The Rotisserie Style Chicken? I am not going to lie I was a little skeptical at first; I don’t usually branch out too much, I love my sweet onion chicken teriyaki. But Mmmmm that thing was packed with flavor and the chicken was perfectly tender (and raised without anitbiotics! Yay!)!

I think these foodies, enjoyed it all too! Especially after how far they rode! I was so impressed with how well they both did. I thought for sure someone would end up whining and crying about having to ride all the way home; fortunately I was the only one who wanted to cry when I thought about it 🙂

We all enjoyed hanging out and eating our dinner, especially little “E” he just kept on riding…

It was a fun night and I think it will be a new summer past time, switching up our clues every time for a new adventure; maybe next time we will end up at the park or library.

Here is a sample of a few of my clues incase you need help getting the ball rolling:

“This ride might take a little longer, but do not quiver; you will cross a few streets and then end up by the river.”

“Follow the bike trail and enjoy the ride, stop when you see a patch of purple flowers on your side.”

“You’ve stopped to smell the roses, now it’s time to follow your noses. Enjoy the rest of the trail and when you get to the finish, look for the picnic that will be Oh! So delish!”

Tips for creating your own Bike Ride Scavenger Hunt:

Decide how long and how far you want to go, and pick a few places in between to leave clues. You could even ask friends and neighbors to join in on the fun!

Ask elderly neighbors if their house or yard could be a location to hide a clue, I’m sure they would love to help your kids hunt for the clue!

Pack water, snacks or a picnic and remember to wear your helmets!

If your final destination is a little too far for a round trip bike ride, then plan ahead and drop off a vehicle at the ending point so that you can load up and drive home if everyone is too tired.

Tween and Teen version

Are your older kids driving you crazy yet? Do they need to get out of the house? Send them on their own Bike Ride Scavenger Hunt! This would be a great one to get their friends involved too!

Give them their first clue; then as they reach the destination, have them take a selfie and send it to you confirming that they figured out the correct location. Then text them the next clue to continue on the adventure.

You could also throw in little challenges that they have to perform at each location i.e. like gather all the shopping carts from a parking lot and return them to the front of the store, buy a stranger a refreshing beverage at the gas station, sing a song in front of a grocery store and see if anyone gives you a dollar, perform an act of service for someone you see that is in need…

You would also be mom of the neighborhood if you gave them a few dollars and they got to reward themselves when they reached the final destination and it just so conveniently ended at the ice cream shop!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Subway. The opinions and text are all mine.